I will never throw my vote to a politician like (congressional candidate) Ryan Zinke, who hands out bullets at a town hall meeting to manipulate the minds of people to say the government is trying to take guns away from Americans. Do politicians have to sink so low to make comments to people with simple minds — like Fox viewers who believe that garbage?

My vote will go to U.S. Sen. John Walsh, a veteran with the mentality that helps people and doesn't try to manipulate and who doesn't vote along party lines as other GOP politicians have done — like Rep. Steve Daines, who voted against veterans just because his party said to. Pretty sad.

— Joseph Almanza,

Great Falls

Excellent coverage

I applaud the Tribune for its article on child abuse in Great Falls and across the state. Thank you for bringing to light how widespread child abuse has become and the efforts of state and local officials to address this problem.

As the representative for House District 85, I served on the Health and Human Services Committee in the 2013 session. Many bills addressing child abuse and neglect were presented, but nearly all were tabled on party line votes. One such bill mentioned in your article was House Bill 76, the October Perez bill, creating an ombudsman position or positions to directly address child abuse cases.

I was disappointed to see (former Rep.) Cleve Loney's attempt to take credit for this bill when he never testified at the committee hearings in person or in writing. Rep. Carolyn Pease Lopez, D-Hardin, was the bill's main sponsor. HB 76 was initially tabled in committee, and Rep. Tom Jacobson worked diligently with members of the committee, both Democrats and Republicans, to draft an amendment getting the bill reconsidered and eventually passed through the House.

Child abuse is an abhorrent scourge on our state, and I am proud of the legislative efforts made to protect our most vulnerable children. It's a shame Loney is falsely taking credit when he did nothing in support of HB 76.

Child abuse is an issue we all should be working together to bring to an end and which should never be used for political gain.